Fire-arm



(No mae .H. F. WHEELER. FIRE ARM.

No. 430,243. Patented June 17, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. \VHEELER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,243, dated June 17, 1890. Application filed November 4, 1889- Serial No. 329,144- (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY F. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,-

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawlugs, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to fire-arms, particularly that class termed revolving fire-arms. Weapons of this type are frequently provided with double-action looks, so called; and the primary object of my invention is to enable a double action to be changed to a single action for target-practice, or the reverse. In brief, such improvements consist in a pivotal sear and hammer stop-lever, by which the sear at times is held entirely free from the hammer. At other times, when the sear performs its normal duty, the hammer is limited in its backward travel by the stop-lever, which just permits the sear to engage in the fullcock notch.

My improvements further consist in a locking-snap, and likewise in a safety-latch and its spring-actuating mechanism, the latch serving not only to lock the hammer, but, further, prevents the weapon from being opened.

My drawings represent in Figure 1 a sectional elevation of a fire-arm embodying my invention, showing thev weapon open and with the hammer down, the lock mechanism being adapted for target practice. Fig. 2 rep resents the breech portion of the same weapon with the hammer raised and upheld by the fiythat is, with the lock mechanism arranged as a double action. Fig. 3 is a per-. spective view of the locking-snap. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the safety-latch, its spring-actuating mechanism, and the hammer, the latch being in a position of safety. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the scar and hammer stop-lever, the sear and hammer being shown in broken lines. Fig. (3 is a perspective view of the stop-lever. Fig. 7 is a plan of the interlocking extension barrel-rib.

The drawings herewith annexed show arevolving fire-arm composed of the principal parts now generally embodied in weapons of this type, as follows: The breech portion A, barrel B, cylinder C, hammer D, trigger E, mainspring F, and sear G. In the present instance I have shown a double-action lock mechanism, in which the cylinder-actuating linger indicated at 2 and the fly at 3 are piv otally'attached to the trigger, while a springactuated pin a, within the hammer, serves to.

act against the fly at certain times to release the latter from the hammer. The scar is spring-actuated to cause it to bear normally against and wipe the hammer when the latter is moved in the act of cooking the weapon, and is so arranged that the heel of the trigger bears upon it to cause the discharge of the weapon after the latter has been cocked by the fly, the latter actuated by a pull upon the trigger. The side plate is drawn at 5 as a circular piece, and interiorly upon it is hung the sear and hammer stop-lever 6. The latter is adapted to be swung in two extremes of movement by aid of the pin '7, projecting through an aperture 8 in the side plate. This stop-lever is formed, as shown in Figs. 1, 5, and (3, the lower extremity 9 being cut away in part to form a step 10. The function of these parts is as follows, it being understood that the nose of the sear is furnished with a lateral stud 12, which is adapted to cooperate with the stop-lever. In Fig. l the latter is shown with the stud resting in the step 10. Such position of parts allows the sear to bear upon the hammer; consequently any pull upon the trigger will produce a certain change in the action of the lock mechanism-via, that termed single action, especially adapted for target practice, wherein the trigger lifts the fly, which in turn rocks and throws the hammer back, the sear engaging in the full-cock notch. \Vhen this act is accomplished, the pull upon the trigger momentarily ceases just prior to the discharge of the weapon. At this time the pin 4 pushes back the fly, which, disengaged from the hammer, moves upward a short distance. The latter is now held solely by the sear, when a further pull upon the trigger causes the heel of the latter to contact with the sear, which is thus released from the hammer and the weapon is discharged.

During the use of the stop-lever 6, as above premised, it becomes necessary to limit the backward throw of the hammer. To this end I have formed a lateral]y-projecting lip or abutment 13 upon the rear side of the stoplever or that adjacent to the hammer, which is further furnished with a stud 14. Thus as the hammer is thrown back its movement is to be limited by the position of said stud 14,

which is such that the sear shall just engage the full-cock notch as said stud contacts with the lip 13. No further movement of the hammer can now occur until cessation of the pull on the trigger. Such act disengages the fly from the hammer in order to make the release of the hammer dependent on the scar and trigger, and consequently produces a single-action lock mechanism. On the other hand, to change this single action for target practice to a double action, the stop lever is thrust, by means of its actuating-pin 7, to its opposite extreme with this result: The extremity 9 of the stop-lever is brought by a wiping movement above the stud 12 of the sear, and the latter is now held against its spring in a depressed position. As a consequence, the hammer is freed entirely from the sear and now depends for its lifting, cooking, and release upon the trigger and fly, with the result that the lock mechanism becomes double action. In other words, a pull upon the trigger causes the fly to lift the hammer to a full-cock position, but the sear being inoperative a further pull upon the trigger trips the fly, when the hammer being released the weapon is discharged. So long as the stoplever remains in this position to render the sear inoperative, so long can the weapon be employed with a double action. One important feature in connection with this part of my invention is that when the double action is being used the sear is kept entirely inactive, and no wear ensues from its wiping action on the hammer, as heretofore.

One of my improvements, as before premised, relates to a safety-latch 15, which performs two dutiesto block the hammer and likewise, simultaneously, the locking-snap. This safety-latch is pivoted at 16 in the breech to the rear of and above the main spring and is spring-actuated, as I will proceed to describe, to enable the same spring to hold the latch in either of two positions, either atsafety or at danger. Below and in alignment with the safety-latch I have disposed a tubular stem 17, which is pivotally secured to the breech of the weapon. WVithin the stem is placed a coiled spring 18, which actuates a short push-rod 19. The lower end of such rod enters the bore of the tubular stem, while the opposite extremity bears against the latch, engaging in the latter by means of latch in the arc of a'circle the center of which is the pivot 16. The other portion I have cut away at 23. This latter is sufficient to permit endwise travel of the bolt 24 away from the locking-snap to permit the latter to be thrown back. Said bolt is located just above the hammer in the metal of the breech portion. The relative position of the parts when the latch is at safety is shown in Fig. at, wherein the rounded portion 21 is in contact with the bolt 24, which is thereby thrust and held against the tail of the locking-snap, while the latch-actuating mechanism holds the latter positively in place. The parts so remain until a pull upon the latch retracts the latter, when the portion 23 cut away is in alignment with the bolt and the latter moves as pressure is brought on the snap to open the weapon. J

Then the latch is in position of safety, the part 23 then blocks the hammer, while the other portion 21 blocks the bolt 24:.

A further feature of my invention is embodied in the locking-snap before mentioned,

by which the barrel and breech portions are locked and unlocked. One peculiar feature of this locking-snap is that it is spring-actuated or rendered self -operative only when the weapon is locked. To effect this result I have pivoted the snap as shown, and formed it with a transverse bar 25,- which surmounts twin lugs 26 at the rear of the barrel, and which overlap upon the breech portion when the weapon is closed. Between these lugs is an aperture 27 to receive the nose 28 of the locking-snap. This nose extends upwardly and is intended to engage a spring 29 centrally of the barrel-rib, which extends rearwardly projecting into the recess 27. Thus said spring engages the nose of the latch before the weapon is closed. Further,

the eifort in said act of closing is now exerted against the pressure of said spring, which wipes the nose of the said latch, the tension of such spring gradually increasing until the upper surface of the lugs is in the same plane with the under portion of the bar 25, when the latter snaps forward upon its pivot, effectually closing the weapon. Thus it will be seen that the locking-snap is rendered selfoperative and is very efiicient and serviceable, since the parts are simple and not liable to break or get out of order, while the spring exerts its maximum force when the weapon is closed-an important feature.

\Vhat I desire to claim is- 1. In lock mechanism for fire-arms, the combination,with a hammer, its actuating mechanism, and a sear, of a stop-lever swinging interiorly of the frame and furnished with a pin projecting through a slot in the side plate, the free end of said lever adapted to engage a stud upon the sear to hold the latter inoperative, and further provided with a step 10, to allow advance of the stud and engagement of the sear with the hammer, substantially as described.

2. In revolving fire-arms, the combination, 2"? th a hammer, thetrigger, the fly pivoted upon the trigger and adapted to engage with and be disengaged from the hammer, the sear, the locking-snap, and the slidingbolt, of a springactuated safety-latch adapted to be set in two extremes of position to block the hammer and thebolt, or to release the same simultaneously, and a stop-lever 6, pivoted at its upper end within the frame and having its lower end resting on a stud of the sear to hold the latter inoperative, and also recessed to form a step 10, allowing the advance of the scar and its engagement with the hammer, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. In revolving fire-arms, a hammer, its operating mechanism, a lateral stud thereupon, combined with a stop-lever operated exteriorly through the side plate, the step 10, to permit the sear to engage the hammer, and the lateral lip upon the lever to engage the hammer at stated times, the stop-lever being pivoted to the breech of the Weapon and swinging in avertical plane parallel with and adjacent to the hammer, substantially as and fo the purposes herein described.

4:. In lock mechanism for fire-arms, a hammer, its operating mechanism composed of the fly and trigger, combined with a spring-actuated sear, a lateral stud upon the scar, and a swinging stop-lever with'its free end adapted to engage said stud to render the sear inoperative at times, all for purposes as herein stated.

5. In combination with the breech portion A, the barrel portion B,the twin lugs 26 upon the latter, and the spring 29, a locking-snap 20, pivoted in the breech portion and provided with the transverse bar 25 and nose 28 to engage the lugs 20, substantially as described and set forth.

6. In combination with the barrel portion B, the breech portion A, the lock mechanism composed of a scar, hammer, and trigger, and the locking-snap, a safety-latch consisting of a plate hung in the frame and projecting from and in part concealed by said frame, said safety-latch being formed with the operative front end parts 21 23, respectively, to block the bolt and hammer, and spring actuated at the rear end, and a sliding bolt between the locking-snap and the front end of said safetylatch, all operating substantially as herein set forth and stated.

7. In a revolving fire-arm having a breech and barrel portion closed by a locking-snap, a locking-snap, a sliding bolt aligned in rear thereof in the metal of the breech, combined with a pivoted safety-latch having the operative parts 21 23 to block the hammer and bolt simultaneously, and the spring-actuating mechanism composed of the swinging tubular stem 17, coiled spring 18, and push-rod 19, the latter engaging with the safety-latch, substantially for purposes specified and described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY F. \VHEELER.

Witnesses:

H. E. LODGE, JOHN A. DOUGHERTY. 

